ANTIDIABETIC ACTIVITY OF AERIAL PARTS OF ARGEMONE MEXICANA LINN. IN ALLOXAN INDUCED HYPERGLYCAEMIC RATS

Summary Argemone mexicana L. (Papaveraceae), commonly known as prickly poppy, is an indigenous herb used as a medicinal plant in several countries. The present study was designed to investigate the possible actions of ethanolic and aqueous extract of aerial parts of Argemone mexicana Linn , on glucose homeostasis in acute normoglycemic and alloxan induced hyperglycemic rats, including oral glucose tolerance and up to 11-days of study in hyperglycaemic rats. The body weight measurement and certain serum biochemical estimation were undertaken in 11-days treated hyperglycemic rats. Both extracts were used at dose levels of 200 and 400 mg/kg each by oral route, keeping glibenclamide (5 mg/kg) as standard drug. The biochemical parameters used in the study are blood glucose concentration, urea, creatinine, triglyceride, cholesterol. The test result revealed that in normoglycemic rats